94 ANIMAL LIFE IN TEE YOSEMITE 



The gophers had moved up to occupy the margins of the meadows, and 

 the badgers had concentrated their activities in these areas, which had a 

 maximum gopher population. Time after time we saw places where we 

 inferred that gophers had been dug out. In the midst of an area showing 

 new surface mounds and perhaps some winter earth-cores, there would be 

 a hole 8 to 12 inches in diameter, with the torn remains of a gopher's nest 

 at the bottom and signs of badger on the ground above. Three such 

 excavations were noted by the junior author on one day in July, 1915, 

 while traversing the floor of Lyell Caiion. Belding Ground Squirrels are 

 probably captured to some extent by the badger in the mountains, as are 

 California Ground Squirrels, in the lowlands. 



On Tuolumne Meadows, July 11, 1915, a trap set in a locality where 

 gophers and evidences of badger work were common caught a badger. The 

 remarkable strength and energy of this individual, as an example of the 

 species, were illustrated in a striking way. The animal had been caught 

 by one hind foot. With its forefeet it had scraped up the earth within a 

 circle of 3 to 4 feet diameter, the limit of its reach, and this earth had been 

 accumulated in a flat-crowned mound. Its intention had been, presumably, 

 to escape by digging, and it had stopped only when the accumulating 

 earth had made further work impossible. On top of this mound the badger 

 was squatting (pi. 246). 



On tw^o occasions while our party was at Tuolumne Meadows, badgers 

 were found at work during the afternoon. One animal was discovered 

 digging in a hole in the ground. It was already below the surface, ' ' kick- 

 ing up the dirt at a lively rate," and when come upon, it quickly plugged 

 the entrance so that further observation of it was impossible. The other 

 animal was out on the surface of the ground near the border of a meadow. 

 It ran quickly up a sidehill, and, in spite of its seeming clumsiness, outdid, 

 the observer in his attempt to follow. This badger also went into a hole, 

 the opening of which it soon blocked with earth from within. 



At Pleasant Valley Mr. J, B. Varain told us that he once opened a 

 badger den on a neighboring hill and found at the bottom two young 

 which were "nearly pure white." There was no nest of any sort. 



Near the Farrington Ranch, southwest of Mono Lake, a half-grown 

 badger was captured in late June, 1916 (pi. 24c). On one occasion it 

 was let go free on the ground so that something of its habits might be 

 observed. True to its kind it immediately commenced to dig, but continued 

 only long enough to make a shallow excavation barely deep enough to hide 

 in. A gopher or mole under similar circumstances would not only have 

 tunneled out of sight, but would have kept on going. At any unusual 

 noise the young badger would put his head out of the hole and look about. 



